Any weight loss 'tricks' that actually work?
Replies
-
please for the love of god, stop telling people to eat 10x their weight in calories.
OP, use an actual calculator to estimate your maintenance needs, eat at maintenance if you want to really test the number, and then after a month reduce that by 20% max. You'll find that you're likely not eating 10x your body weight.
I wonder why you keep promoting 10x goal weight for loss when you yourself do not appear to be following this, according to your ticker at least. 165lbs = 1650 calories, not 1300. I exercise an average of 20 minutes a day, but really it's 45-50 minutes 3x a week, strength training. And if I ate my current weight OR my goal weight in calories, I'd seriously be stabbing people due to severe hanger. This is why calculating TDEE based on activity level and not arbitrary weight x a number is going to provide more customized results.0 -
please for the love of god, stop telling people to eat 10x their weight in calories.
OP, use an actual calculator to estimate your maintenance needs, eat at maintenance if you want to really test the number, and then after a month reduce that by 20% max. You'll find that you're likely not eating 10x your body weight.
I wonder why you keep promoting 10x goal weight for loss when you yourself do not appear to be following this, according to your ticker at least. 165lbs = 1650 calories, not 1300. I exercise an average of 20 minutes a day, but really it's 45-50 minutes 3x a week, strength training. And if I ate my current weight OR my goal weight in calories, I'd seriously be stabbing people due to severe hanger. This is why calculating TDEE based on activity level and not arbitrary weight x a number is going to provide more customized results.
Totally agree. MKEGal has been spreading this misinformation forever now and it gets tiresome. Her calculations are off by about 300 calories for me. TDEE calculators work best, try those first then adjust as necessary based on results! But I haven't had to adjust much, TDEE calculators based on activity seems to work scarily well for me. NOT 10x weight calculations....
0 -
[quote="MKEgal;30421404
My doctor & dietician told me to eat 10x my healthy goal weight in order to lose weight to get there. So you should be eating 1050-1300 cal. [/quote]
No.
I believe I've seen you give this advice before and I've challenged it. In fact, I can't believe you're advising someone to eat 1050 calories a day, which is considered very low calorie.
This eating 10X your body weight is silly. While this applied this to your situation it does not mean it will apply to everyone else, or anyone else for that matter, especially to someone who is 120 pounds and wants to lose 5 pounds, or someone who is 300 pounds and needs to lose 100 pounds quickly under doctor supervision due to serious health risks.
I am 5 ft 4.5 tall and weigh 140 pounds. Say I want to lose five more pounds. If I lower my calories to 10X my body weight, which would be 1400, then I would lose way too fast, which is not healthy and would not be sustainable for me in the long run.
Granted I weight lift and run and exercise 5-6 days a week, I lose .5 pounds a week on about 1900 calories total. That's where I need to eat, not 10X my body weight.
The correct way is to find an estimate of your TDEE and cut from there.
0 -
"Most weight loss occurs because of decreased caloric intake.
However, evidence shows the only way to maintain weight loss is to be engaged in regular physical activity."
http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/physical_activity/index.html
See the second half of http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/MKEgal/view/2014-06-08-exercise-667080 for advice about weightlifting which comes from a reputable source (the American Society for Sports Medicine).
You need to know the maximum amount you can lift, called the one-repetition maximum or 1RM.
For building muscle, you want to do 1 or 2 sets of 8-12 repetitions of a weight that's 70-85% of your 1RM.
For building endurance, do 1 or 2 sets of 15-20 repetitions of a weight that's 50-65% of your 1RM.
Either way, start low on both weight & reps and work up.
You should just be able to do the last 2-3 reps.
When it gets easy to do the maximum # of reps, add 5 pounds and go back to the minimum # of reps.
(From the American College of Sports Medicine's book "Resources for the Personal Trainer, 4th edition".)
No on this as well.
The only absolute in weight loss is to eat less calories than you burn, but exercise is at the discretion of the individual.
Lots of people maintain their weight without exercise. Think of all the handicapped people who can't exercise who have lose weight and maintain.
As for the shoulds regarding weight lifting-that's at the discretion of the individual as well, though I would say following a weight lifting program is helpful to some (but not to others) instead of inventing your own.0 -
Tracking is my secret.
I know its boring, but its true. When I "try to eat right" but don't track my calories, I don't lose. When I track consistently, I always lose.
My recommended step one for weight loss will always be tracking your intake as accurately as possible (meaning using a food scale and all that jazz).0 -
shibainugal wrote: »Are you measuring with a tape measure? You may be losing inches and gaining muscle. The scale isn't everything.
Not happening. Sorry.
OP, log everything you eat accurately and honestly. If you aren't losing, then you aren't in a calorie deficit. The only thing any of those "tricks" will make smaller is your bank account.
There's always one.0 -
Log accurately, drink 2-3 gallons of water daily, and walk 2-3 miles daily
0 -
One "trick" that has helped me lose weight is using a food scale to weigh and pre-log my food. It also makes it possible to build in yummy things guilt-free.0
-
herrspoons wrote: »please for the love of god, stop telling people to eat 10x their weight in calories.
OP, use an actual calculator to estimate your maintenance needs, eat at maintenance if you want to really test the number, and then after a month reduce that by 20% max. You'll find that you're likely not eating 10x your body weight.
I wonder why you keep promoting 10x goal weight for loss when you yourself do not appear to be following this, according to your ticker at least. 165lbs = 1650 calories, not 1300. I exercise an average of 20 minutes a day, but really it's 45-50 minutes 3x a week, strength training. And if I ate my current weight OR my goal weight in calories, I'd seriously be stabbing people due to severe hanger. This is why calculating TDEE based on activity level and not arbitrary weight x a number is going to provide more customized results.
Agree. We should have a flag for 'Ridiculous Broscience'.
YUP
0 -
Nope, no tricks . .
0 -
Gimmicks work until you stop using them. And a lot of them come with side effects or contain junk that can't possibly be good for your body. If you want real, long lasting change you should opt for a healthier lifestyle.
I personally haven't tried any gimmicks or quick fixes. Just lots of sweat at the gym, food measuring, calorie counting, and self-motivation. I've experienced a steady decrease in weight over the past 2.5 years and am down 40 pounds.0 -
Hi everyone!
I'm wondering if anyone has tried any of the diet pills, weight loss patches, detoxes, clay wraps, etc and had real results?
I'm doing everything right (I think) but I can't seem to lose a pound. I eat 5 servings of veggies a day, 2-3 servings of fruit, less than 1700 cal per day, at least 100g of protein, no processed sugars, I stop eating 3 hours before going to bed, and exercise 3-5 times a week. I've been doing this for 2 months and am becoming very frustrated. [I am 5'2" and 140 lbs)
I know there is NO substitute for a healthy lifestyle but I'm wondering if there are any additions to the lifestyle that has personally worked for you?
Thanks!!
If you want to make your life easy and save a lot of money, just be simple, weight loss/gain is not a pill, is a process over time, the same that you don't get fat overnight you don't lose the weight in two weeks.
How many of those 1300 calories that are not protein do you consume on carbs? specially "healthy grains" (what a joke), what about fat?
You can try a 3-5 days juice fast and yes, undoubtedly you will lose weight but this is never a long term solution, this is just to detoxify your body of toxins in a quick way and then let it function normally, I don't personally like extremes unless necessary.
Just cut grains (all), dairy and sugar from your diet 1-3 months and see results.-3 -
Tricks in terms of diet pills or quick fixes, no. However I can share some of the tricks I use to keep myself on track while I eat at a deficit:
1. Digital kitchen scale. Get one. Weigh everything
2. Choose foods that will satiate such as lean meats, nuts, etc
3. Plan ahead - don't find yourself starving with nothing to eat. Keep plenty of healthy snacks on hand, meal plan, try new recipes to keep it interesting
4. Tell someone about your plan to keep yourself accountable
5. Find an activity you enjoy - running, yoga, whatever
6. Limit high-calorie beverages (this was huge for me). I would rather eat my calories and say full longer. Wine however does not fall into this category. I will always find room for wine
7. Don't eliminate foods you love; find a way to work it in
8. Track everything, every day0 -
herrspoons wrote: »please for the love of god, stop telling people to eat 10x their weight in calories.
OP, use an actual calculator to estimate your maintenance needs, eat at maintenance if you want to really test the number, and then after a month reduce that by 20% max. You'll find that you're likely not eating 10x your body weight.
I wonder why you keep promoting 10x goal weight for loss when you yourself do not appear to be following this, according to your ticker at least. 165lbs = 1650 calories, not 1300. I exercise an average of 20 minutes a day, but really it's 45-50 minutes 3x a week, strength training. And if I ate my current weight OR my goal weight in calories, I'd seriously be stabbing people due to severe hanger. This is why calculating TDEE based on activity level and not arbitrary weight x a number is going to provide more customized results.
Agree. We should have a flag for 'Ridiculous Broscience'.
YUP
yeah.... 5'9" at 168 lbs currently, but I burn between 2000-4100(current record 4050ish) depending on the intensity of my day! If I was eating 1700 calories I'd snap...0 -
5"2 @ 1700 is almost maintaining. I am 5"2 and I try to average 1450, which is a modest deficit that I prefer so it can be a little easier, albeit slower.
If you aim for under 1700 and have any kind of cheat meal or if you ever eat something you are unsure of, then it's cutting it close. If you lower your daily goal a little you will have a little bit more room for error. DO NOT overestimate your exercise burns. I allow myself maybe 100-150 calories on days that I exercise.0 -
I don't know you but if you were losing hair etc it is possible it occurred because of the composition of your diet and not specifically the number of calories. 1200 is low but not extreme. Maybe you cut out too many nutritious foods and only ate diet foods. Just a theory.
Another question, have you not been losing at all or are you just unhappy with the rate of loss? Because losing slowly is totally awesome, just need patience.0 -
5"2 @ 1700 is almost maintaining. I am 5"2 and I try to average 1450, which is a modest deficit that I prefer so it can be a little easier, albeit slower.
If you aim for under 1700 and have any kind of cheat meal or if you ever eat something you are unsure of, then it's cutting it close. If you lower your daily goal a little you will have a little bit more room for error. DO NOT overestimate your exercise burns. I allow myself maybe 100-150 calories on days that I exercise.
This for me too, I'm 5'3" and 1700 is close to maintenance. Losing about 3 pounds a month on 1200ish (and eating back all fitbit exercise cals).0 -
britishbroccoli wrote: »One "trick" that has helped me lose weight is using a food scale to weigh and pre-log my food. It also makes it possible to build in yummy things guilt-free.
I do this too....I already pre-logged my 4 beers tomorrow night
0
This discussion has been closed.
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 393.4K Introduce Yourself
- 43.8K Getting Started
- 260.2K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.9K Food and Nutrition
- 47.4K Recipes
- 232.5K Fitness and Exercise
- 427 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 153K Motivation and Support
- 8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.7K MyFitnessPal Information
- 24 News and Announcements
- 1.1K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.6K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions